413 



the largest and most important crannoge of the lake. There is a tradi- 

 tion in the country about Lough Eea, " that a city lies buried under 

 the lake," which must have been handed down from generation to gene- 

 ration, as it undoubtedly points to the time when the crannoges were 

 submerged, some of which may still be undiscovered, as on a calm day, 

 m the shallow parts of the lake, heaps of regularly placed stones can be 

 observed, all of which may be ancient habitations, and part of the sub- 

 merged city. 



"While stationed in Loughrea last winter (1862), I was informed that 

 Shore Island contained numerous bones, and that piles had been observed 

 in places round and across it. I inferred, therefore, that it must be a 

 crannoge ; and during last summer I examined all the islands in the 

 lake, and found that Reed's Island, Shore Island, Ash Island, and Island 

 M'Coo, are crannoges, while Blake's Island may be one. The accompa- 

 panying sketches, taken from the fair-green of Loughrea, will show the 

 relative positions of these. Eeed Island lies a little on the right of 

 sketch. Fig. No. 1 . It was not included, as it lies so low as to be unobserv- 



Fig. 1. 



able m any picture. Shore Island lies immediately below Lord Dunlo's 

 house, m Pig. m. 1 ; Ash Island is toward the left of the same sketch, 

 near the shore ; and Island M'Coo is the wooded island, toward the left 

 of sketch, Eig. ]^o. 2. 



Fig. 2. 



R. I. A. PEOC— VOL. Vlir. 



